Materials science with Professor Gary Halada "As a materials scientist who is a also a graduate of the Stony Brook Physics Department (B.S. 1985), I realize the importance of applying the principles and theories of physics to critical problems in materials research. The areas currently being researched in my laboratory include the nature of environment/material interactions, the role of charge transfer in molecular transformations, development of nanostructured materials through the use of ultrafast laser ablation, and quantum mechanical molecular modeling. Some of the engineering applications acting as driving forces for this research include environmental remediation, sensor and catalyst development, and understanding degradation mechanisms." "Tom Fiero, a physics undergraduate, has been working on femtosecond laser ablation applications in my laboratory for the past year and a half. His work, including use of laser ablation as an analytical tool for chemical analysis of composite paints and also to create nanostructured intermetallic and semiconductor thin films, was recently described in several presentations at the 50th American Vacuum Society conference in Baltimore, MD." Contact Professor Halada through his web page to find out more about research opportunities in Materials Science and Engineering. November 2003